202 BIRDS 



California. They are known locally as " White Owls," and 

 frequent the bottom lands adjoining the Scioto River, breed- 

 ing most commonly in the large sycamores which line that 

 stream. 



Mr. Dawson, in his book, "Birds of Ohio," writes: 



"Some idea of the bird's usefulness in the community 

 is conveyed by the 'pellets' or little spheres of indigestible 

 matter ejected by the owl from time to time. I examined 

 many of them, and found them made up entirely of the 

 hair and bones of the smaller rodents, mostly mice. There 

 must have been the debris of several thousand mice and 

 rats." Captain Bendire is certain that the captures of a 

 single pair of barn owls, during the nesting season, exceed 

 those of a dozen cats for the same period. 



The barn owl, as its name indicates, often passes the 

 day in barns or outbuildings, being drawn thither solely 

 by the abundance of mice. It offers no violence to the 

 poultry, not even to the pigeons which often share its quar- 

 ters. When disturbed during its slumbers it makes a hiss- 

 ing noise, or clicks its mandibles in a threatening way. It 

 has, besides a "peevish scream" and some querulous notes. 

 Its very odd appearance arouses interest in the average 

 farmer's boy, who discovers in him a curiosity, which is too 

 seldom satisfied until this best mouser is killed. 



Of the breeding habits, Capt. Charles Bendire says: 

 " The barn owl, strictly speaking, makes no nest. If occu- 

 pying a natural cavity of a tree, the eggs are placed on the 

 rubbish that may have accumulated on the bottom; if in a 

 bank, they are laid on the bare ground and among the pel- 

 lets of fur and small bones ejected by the parents. Fre- 



